The Obama administration's answer to the problem that I pose—the shrinking time for non-tested subjects in an environment of high-stakes testing—is this: Test everything. I recoil in horror at the thought. Imagine the cost and waste involved in designing and administering tests in history, civics, science, geography, the arts, foreign language, and so on. With so many tests and so much test preparation, would there be any time for instruction? Add to this scenario the burden that will be imposed by value-added assessment. To do it right in any subject, tests must be administered in September and again at the end of the school year: Twice as many tests as are now required by NCLB. Add to this the new data systems, with every teacher accountable for every individual score.
At some point, parents and teachers will rise up and say, "Enough. We are drowning in data. Turn off the computers that measure everything and treasure nothing. Education is getting worse, not better." We must earnestly hope for that day. Indeed, borrowing a page from Rev. Jackson, I will pray for it.
The Horror! Can you imagine if we extended national standardized testing outside the boundaries of English and Math? But isn't this where we are headed?
But enough about testing...as I sit here on my porch enjoying some peace, sunshine, and Pink Floyd, I wonder if were are really headed for the sort of rebellion discussed above. Personally, I think we will get there eventually, but it won't be in the manner the blogger wants. The computers will NEVER be turned off and the data is here to stay. Maybe the revolution will be a change in what we assess? Maybe it will be in how we assess? Or maybe in how we use and value the little time we have with students? Who knows, maybe the revolution has nothing to do with what we teach or test, but who does the teaching and testing. I think teacher unions are on the way out (eventually), and without them we will certainly have drastic changes. Does that constitute a rebellion?
By the way...if you want one person's frank assessment of NCLB and DC education policy, read the fourth paragraph of the letter cited above.
One of my all time favorite quotes is "You don't fatten up a sheep by weighing it." I think that speaks directly to how much assessment we are doing in our classrooms. I feel like my schedule is constantly being interrupted in order to get some test finished. I get the data, I try to look at all of it, but what do I do ultimately? I pretty much go on what I already know about my students from working with them every day.
ReplyDelete